Drought eases so guzzler penalties should end, EBMUD says

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A section of homes along Alameda Diablo in the town of Diablo which has big lots and was identified as having the highest daily water usage per household of any EBMUD city. (Dan Rosenstrauch/Bay Area News Group)

OAKLAND — The East Bay’s largest water supplier may soon drop its pioneering rule that led to fines and public shaming of homeowners who used too much water in the drought — including celebrities, sports stars and business titans.

In another sign the drought is easing, East Bay Municipal Utility District managers recommended Friday that the district suspend its excess water-use ordinance on May 3.

The district will have about 80 percent more water storage this year than last for its 1.3 million customers in two counties after the wettest winter in five years, EBMUD hydrologists estimate in their annual spring water supply report.

The water board is scheduled to vote on the recommendation at its 1:15 p.m. Tuesday meeting in Oakland.

EBMUD garnered widespread attention last summer when it became the first large water district in California to penalize households consuming more than 1,000 gallons per day, about four times the average household use districtwide. Violators’ names and consumption were released to the media or others who filed a records request.

Environmentalists applauded the rule, saying it made it harder for the affluent with large lawns to buy their way out of making sacrifices in the drought. One Alamo household used more than 11,000 gallons of water per day.

But many of the 5,627 East Bay households assessed $596,878 in penalties say the rule unfairly targeted hot Contra Costa County areas like Alamo and San Ramon with large yards and lawns that make it difficult to stay within the limits.

The district’s water outlook has improved vastly this winter. The Mokelumne River Basin, the central Sierra source of EBMUD’s water, has 109 percent of average rain and snowfall.

As a result, hydrologists estimate the district will end up with between 595,000 and 630,000 acre feet of water in its reservoirs by Sept. 30, a huge increase from the 350,000 acre feet reservoirs held last Oct. 1.

“This indicates the end-of-the-year storage will be enough to meet next year’s water demand,” district hydrologists wrote.

While they call for suspending the excess use penalties, EBMUD staffers said it is too early to consider rescinding the higher drought rates that all customers pay as an incentive to use less. Any drought rate decision should be made after the state water board decides May 18 whether to relax or drop water reduction targets assigned to all California water districts, said EBMUD spokeswoman Andrea Pook.

The state ordered the East Bay district to cut back 16 percent, and its customers more than met that target by using 23 percent less water from June 2015 through March 2016.

Denis Cuff covers environmental, water, and outdoor recreation news for the Bay Area News Group. A graduate of Stanford University with a B.A. in communications, he enjoys hiking and cycling in his spare time.

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